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As the Under-19 National team continues to build, one Michigan star received good news, while another saw their dreams dashed. Incoming transfer forward Morez Johnson, Jr. cut of 18 as the team continues to form its roster. Sophomore guard LJ Cason did not cut. More known for his defensive prowess, Cason faced a tough challenge in beating out some of the most elite young talent in the country.
Regardless of the known outcome for Cason or the yet-to-be-known outcome for Johnson, Jr., both players gained valuable experience during the tryouts. The final cut to the roster of 12 occurs on June 18th, and Morez looks to be in a good spot with his size, length, and ability to defend the rim and pressure opposing defenses
What a great experience for LJ! Congrats to Morez as he moves forward! USA Basketball announced its 18 finalists for the U19 National Team following three days of training camp. Final cut to 12 is Wednesday!
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) June 16, 2025
Appreciate the photos @usabasketball #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/stRgOwe4x7
Cason returns to Ann Arbor early to join a team that is expected to compete for the Big Ten Title as well as a potential Final Four appearance. Head coach Dusty May has a deep team with experience, knowledge, and elite scoring ability. In his second year at the helm, May was aggressive in the transfer portal, securing the top class in the nation. This is the second year he has been able to utilize the transfer portal to overhaul his entire team. This time, he has assembled what may be the most talented team to step into Crisler Center in years.
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3 Reasons The UConn Huskies Can Win The 2026 NCAA Championship
The UConn Huskies may not have been able to complete the national championship three-peat, falling in the second round of March Madness last season. However, the Huskies should be right back in championship contention this year and have as good a chance as anyone to win the whole thing. There are plenty of reasons why UConn can win a national championship during the 2026 season. Let’s take a look at three of them. Previous Championship Experience It takes a lot to win a national championship, and thankfully, there are players on UConn’s roster who already know what it takes to do just that. Alex Karaban already has two rings during his Huskies career, playing a key role on each of those teams. Then there is Jaylin Stewart and Solo Ball, who were members of UConn’s 2024 championship run. Don’t underestimate this experience. This trio knows exactly what it takes to win a title and navigate March Madness and can lead the way for freshmen such as Braylon Mullins and Jacob Furphy, who have never been there before. Purdue is going to be a threat, Houston will be elite again, and Florida is coming off a national championship victory. Still, they’ll be heavily relying on two freshmen and a duo of transfer portal adds to lead the way. No roster in college basketball has the championship experience UConn has. Dan Hurley Many coaches will spend years at the college level and never win a championship. It’s even rarer for a coach to win multiple national titles. However, Dan Hurley can confidently say that he’s one of 16 college basketball coaches to have won numerous championships during their career. This experience can’t be when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Hurley knows what it takes to make it through a demanding. Hurley is considered one of the best coaches in college basketball over the last 25 years. He knows how to get the most out of his players and teams, and is elite at game planning for his opponents. No matter what the roster looks like, a Dan Hurley-led team always has the potential to make some noise in March. Luckily, this iteration of the Huskies is loaded with talent, and with Hurley at the helm, they have a great recipe to win their third championship in four seasons. UConn’s Demanding Non-Conference Schedule The only way to be the best is to beat the best, and that’s clearly the approach the Huskies took when considering their non-conference schedule. The Huskies have matchups with Arizona, BYU, Florida, and Kansas at times throughout this season. All of those teams are recognized as top-25 teams heading into the new season. UConn will have multiple tests throughout the year to see where they stands against college basketball’s best teams. These games will only make them more prepared come March.
Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a cause for concern with Jordan Love in the preseason. The quarterback suffered a thumb injury during the Packers' 30-10 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday. Love went 1-of-5 passing for seven yards and took a sack for -3 yards in the defeat. Both of his drives ended in punts. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Love is set to have surgery on his thumb after seeing how it held up at practice on Monday. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. "Gutekunst sounded adamant that Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Lions," Schneidman wrote. "Hit his left hand on a helmet on that half-scramble vs. Jets. Wanted to see how it felt at practice yesterday and decided to get it fixed to avoid future issues. Will be with team in Indianapolis. "Brian Gutekunst says Jordan Love is having a procedure done on his left thumb. It’s a 'ligament thing.' Hurt it in the preseason opener. Gutekunst hopes he returns to practice next week." The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers. Love and the majority of his receivers have not been in sync during training camp and in the preseason game. Like last season, Packers' receivers have dropped passes during practices and did so in the preseason opener against the Jets. Green Bay needs Love on the field, gaining chemistry with his pass-catching targets, including first-round pick Matthew Golden, before it plays the Lions.
Shohei Ohtani named in lawsuit regarding $240M real estate project
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been named in a lawsuit that was filed in Hawaii on Friday. Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are being sued by a real estate investor and a broker in Hawaii who have accused Ohtani and Balelo of sabotaging a $240M real estate deal for a development on the Big Island. According to court documents that were obtained by Jimmy Golen of The Associated Press, real estate developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto say Ohtani and Balelo deliberately had them removed from the project “for no reason other than their own financial self-interest.” The lawsuit claims Ohtani was brought into the deal for his promotional value and that he and his agent pushed the founders of the project out using “threats and baseless legal claims.” “Defendants must be held accountable for their actions, not shielded by fame or behind-the-scenes agents acting with impunity,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs bring this suit to expose Defendants’ misconduct and to ensure that the rules of contract, fair dealing, and accountability apply equally to all — celebrity or not.” Hayes and Matsumoto have also accused Ohtani and Balelo of trying to push them out of a similar neighboring development project. The $240M Big Island development is located along Hapuna Beach, which is rated one of the top beaches in the world. Matsumoto was supposed to be the listing agent for the properties, which average more than $17.3M each. A brochure for the project stated that Ohtani, who was called “Japan’s Babe Ruth” has committed to buying one of the 14 properties and acting as a “celebrity spokesperson” for the development. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700M contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season. The two-way star is having another monster year with a .284 average, 42 home runs, 78 RBI and a 1.013 OPS entering Tuesday. Ohtani has also returned to pitching this season and has a 2.37 ERA across 19 innings. Ohtani was also connected to a massive gambling scandal last year, though Major League Baseball determined that the 31-year-old was not guilty of any wrongdoing.
What is 'biggest sticking point' in contract standoff between Terry McLaurin, Commanders?
As of Wednesday morning, the Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin remained in a contract standoff. The 29-year-old wide receiver, in the final year of his current deal, requested a trade on July 31. Team reporter John Keim of ESPN shared "why the two sides remain so far apart" regarding a possible agreement. "[Age] likely remains the biggest sticking point because it frames the argument for Washington," Keim explained. "McLaurin will turn 30 on Sept. 15, which means he'd be 31 when an extension begins. The Commanders rely heavily on analytics, and the numbers aren't kind to receivers at that age. According to ESPN Research, over the past five seasons, only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game; six have averaged 60-plus." Previous reports indicated that McLaurin wants "parts" of the five-year, $150M deal that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf in March after the Steelers acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 on Dec. 14. "One league source said he could see the Commanders eventually agreeing to pay $28M per year," Keim noted. "...According to various reports and multiple sources, DK Metcalf's contract has served as a guide for McLaurin — though whether that's in terms of average per year ($33M) or total guarantees ($60M) remains uncertain." Keim added that "multiple team sources" have insisted that the Commanders, coming off a trip to this year's NFC Championship Game, won't trade McLaurin for a future draft asset this summer. While playing with quarterback and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, McLaurin notched team highs of 82 receptions and 1,096 receiving yards last season. Only Cincinnati Bengals superstar Ja'Marr Chase recorded more touchdown catches (17) than McLaurin (13) during the 2024 campaign. "[Daniels] averaged 13.4 air yards per attempt to McLaurin, and six of his 12 passes that gained 30 yards or more went to the wideout," Keim pointed out. "Daniels posted a 90.6 quarterback rating (on the 100 scale) when targeting McLaurin." On Wednesday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Commanders sixth among the betting favorites (tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers) at +2000 odds to win Super Bowl LX this coming February. The fact that Washington wouldn't be able to find a direct replacement for McLaurin before 2026 will likely give him millions of reasons to take the field against the New York Giants in Week 1 on Sept. 7.
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